All passengers
from here to USA get pre-clearance from US Customs and Immigration, unlike in Europe

To refer to
this web file, please use "bermuda-online.org/airport.htm"
as your Subject.

Bermuda
International Airport and runway taken by USNAS Bermuda 1993

L. F. Wade
International Airport, Bermuda

Aviation files by the same
author include Airlines
- Bermuda's Aviation
History - Cruise
Ship Arrivals - Illegal
Imports - Former US Military
facilities in Bermuda. In
1936, decades before Keith and
his siblings were born, his father pioneered the radio direction
finding system that was instrumental in commercial airlines flying into Bermuda
and Keith's interest in Bermudiana began accordingly.This particular website seen here is one of the 124+
in-depth and unique web-files about Bermuda produced solely by the
private-sector Bermuda Online
and includes very extensive historic information about this entirely
US taxpayer-paid airport and its US Military origins not on the Government's Airport website.

Airport Data in brief

2015. February 13. Bermuda’s
modernization of its air traffic management will allow the Island to become a
certified air navigation service provider, Transport Minister Shawn
Crockwell told Members of Parliament this morning upon resumption at the House
of Assembly. “Significant costs” involved in the process will be recouped in
user charges, Mr Crockwell added. The Island’s certification as a provider
would allow Bermuda to expand its area of airspace for air traffic management
from the existing five-mile radius, out to as much as 50 miles — and
potentially farther “at a much later stage”, Mr Crockwell said. Expanded
operations should be in place to support “the anticipated increase in flight
operations surrounding the upcoming America’s Cup”. The updates came as the
Transport Minister rose to inform the House of his London visit in December,
accompanied by local aviation officials, to present the findings of the Bermuda
Approach Control and Airspace Modernization Feasibility Survey.

2015. January 31. Transport
Minister Shawn Crockwell's travel expenses for a three-day trip to the UK to
meet aviation experts cost nearly $6,000. Mr Crockwell and a team of experts
flew to London late last year to make a presentation to five officials from the
UKs Department of Transport on Bermuda's Approach Control and Airspace
Modernization Feasibility Study. The study was conducted as part of LF Wade
International's plans to adjust and update its runway to abide by new
international civil aviation landing regulations. The project has since been
completed. The trip took place between December 14 and 16, and Mr Crockwell's
total expenses were $5,956. His air travel cost a little more than $4,400, while
his accommodation in London was $1,142. The Ministry of Tourism Development and
Transport made a presentation to five officials from the Department for
Transport on the summary findings of Bermuda's Approach Control and Airspace
Modernization Feasibility Study. Minister Crockwell was accompanied by Thomas
Dunstan, director of the Department of Civil Aviation; Bob Withers, manager of
air operations; Mike Paone, project manager from Boeing-Jeppessen; and Aaron
Adderley, general manager of LF Wade International Airport, who were in the UK
attending other prearranged meetings. The UK officials included Dr Adam Simmons,
deputy director of International Aviation, Safety and Environment Division;
Duncan Nicholls, International Aviation, Safety and Environment Division; Karen
Neal, desk office for Bermuda at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Mike
Alcock, International Aviation Safety and Environment Division; and Maria Boyce,
CEO of Airspace Safety Support International." Following the presentation,
the UK Department for Transport offered its full support of the Bermuda Airspace
initiative, acknowledging that the UK anticipated Bermuda would look to assume
management of its own Terminal Airspace from the FAA, when Bermuda was willing
and able to do so. Minister Crockwell's expenses also included $161 on ground
transportation, $217 on meals and $25 on miscellaneous expenses.

2015.January
23. LookBermuda has officially launched the first phase of a photography
installation at the airport in collaboration with National Geographic
photographer David Liittschwager. Images of Bermuda’s unique fauna and
flora will now be the first thing visitors see when they step foot in LF Wade
International Airport. The first set of photographs being displayed is the
result of expeditions on Nonsuch Island by LookBermuda’s Jean Pierre Rouja and
Mr Liittschwager. They worked with terrestrial conservation officer Jeremy
Madeiros of the Department of Conservation as well as collector of marine
specimens Chris Flook on three separate expeditions in 2014. During the trips
the team produced more than 180 images of the unique flora and fauna. The
imagery is the basis of The Nonsuch Island Expeditions airport installation,
with sponsored images from the ongoing expeditions printed a minimum of 4ft by
4ft, and installed in busy areas throughout the airport. Mr Rouja said: “We
had assisted David on another project and wanted to apply his process to our
ongoing efforts to showcase Nonsuch Island. The shooting started with newly
hatched cahow chicks and has been expanded to showcase the biodiversity of the
Nonsuch Island Nature Reserve and its surrounding waters. We are using Nonsuch
as a lens through which to document Bermuda’s biodiversity photographing —
not only the endemic and endangered species, which can be found there but also
more common species found around Bermuda. This package is proving to be quite
popular as not only does it give a much-needed visual boost to the airport but
it also gives the general public and the schools a closer look at Nonsuch
Island, to which access is normally restricted.” LookBermuda’s exclusive
contract with the airport extends for the next several years and will be
displayed throughout the upcoming America’s Cup. As part of the ongoing
airport project, LookBermuda is developing various other themes with large scale
scenic panoramic images by Mr Rouja and underwater photography by Chris
Burville. Their images are being earmarked for some of the larger open walls and
include panoramic murals exceeding eight by 40 feet in the arrivals corridor.
Sponsorship is still being sought for the project. General manager at LF Wade
International Aaron Adderley said: “The airport is pleased to partner with
LookBermuda on this much-anticipated project. The photography highlighting the
Island’s natural beauty is spectacular and when completed will allow us to add
a splash of colour and vibrancy that our visitors and residents can both
enjoy.” Members of the public not using the airport will still be able to see
the prints in two MobileArt exhibits — the first as a mobile pop-up show and
the second as an educational exhibit that will rotate throughout the Island’s
schools along with accompanying curriculum and activities. For more information
or to become a sponsor for the ongoing project visit www.nonsuchisland.com.

Update: 2014. November 29.
Debate over the proposed airport redevelopment erupted in the House of Assembly
again after Finance Minister Bob Richards tabled a draft letter of entrustment
from the UK. Mr Richards told the House that while the Government is of the
legal position that the entrustment would not be necessary, the Ministry remains
in talks with Government House to ensure that all parties are on board,
describing it as "a matter of belts and braces. We have a long-term
relationship with the UK Government and we want to keep that relationship so we
want everyone on board. Just because we ask someone doesn't mean we're required
to ask someone." Government announced earlier this month that it had signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Canadian Commercial Corporation
(CCC) to redevelop the LF Wade International Airport. Under the proposed deal,
Bermuda would receive a state of the art $200 million air terminal, which would
be gradually paid for using future revenues. However, the Progressive Labour
Party has repeatedly attacked the proposal, describing it as "privatization
through the back door without a tendering process." Speaking in the House
of Assembly yesterday, Mr Richards said the Ministry came to the decision that
they did not require a letter of entrustment after receiving legal advice from
international law firm Bennett Jones, with the office of the Attorney General
involved. Asked by Opposition members if the law firm had a relationship with
CCC, Mr Richards said he was not aware of any and that if there was a conflict
of interest the firm would be required to say so. He was then asked if he was
aware that Bennett Jones had represented CCC in respect to a review of
engineering firm SNC-Lavalin. Mr Richards said he did not know about it but that
it had "nothing to do with Bermuda." Questioned by Opposition Leader
Marc Bean about how CCC was selected, Mr Richards said he and the Ministry was
aware of CCC through their experience in the financial services industry and the
Canadian body had ticked all the boxes. Mr Richards also responded to a
series of questions regarding the project's time line, reiterating that he
received approval from the Accountant General to move forward with the project
before the Memorandum of Understanding had been signed, however he declined to
provide the House with a copy of the Accountant General's approval. "If
this matter ever goes to the Public Accounts Committee, they can do what they
want to do, but I don't believe it's appropriate to question my veracity on the
floor of the House," he said. He later added that under PATI legislation
the public will be able to request such information. The Finance Minister also
stated that the first draft entrustment letter was received prior to the signing
of the Memorandum of Understanding with CCC, but that the Cabinet had already
approved the MOU in July. "We had a legal opinion that we didn't need a
letter of entrustment and on that basis we scheduled the signing and the
announcement of the signing of the MOU. It's the view of the Government that the
letter of entrustment was not required. It's not relevant."

November 20.
Bermuda's new airport terminal would include maximum shopping and restaurant
options, as well as jetways at eight gates to protect passengers from the
elements. Aaron Adderley, head of the Department of Airport Operations, told
The Royal Gazette that part of its revenue could come from re-purposing vacant
runway space for alternative energy. Mr Adderley also cautioned that the figure
of $200 million cited as a price tag by Finance Minister Bob Richards was by no
means final, even if it had become ingrained in the public's mind. Government
sealed an agreement with the Canadian Commercial Corporation on November 10 to
build a re-purposed terminal, which would be gradually paid off under a tailored
public-private partnership. Asked about airport revenues, Mr Adderley pointed
out that while the layout of the Government figures made the airport look like a
money-losing venture, LF Wade International Airport actually takes in $3million
to $3.5m annually when departure tax is factored in. "The numbers are not
strong enough to pay for $200 million," Mr Adderley said. "Future
revenue streams had to be capable of ensuring financial viability."
Converting the vacant finger of runway into a solar energy facility has been
discussed for several years now. According to a 2011 Belco report, the runway,
which juts south of the airport into Castle Harbour, could accommodate an
80-acre solar farm. Mr Adderley said the airport would benefit substantially
from any such re-purposing. "It's high on our agenda and is part of our
three-year strategic plan. The alternative energy site is critical. Even if we
didn't have this project, from an operational standpoint our need is two fold:
increase our revenues and decrease our costs. Alternative energy is an option
which would certainly allow us to minimise our power consumption costs. We have
to wait for other legislative regulatory changes to be advanced by another
Ministry before we can finally move forward. A new terminal would necessarily
have modest retail options, given Bermuda's limited traffic. We're never going
to have the volume necessary to justify having a retail mall. However, we want
to ensure that there is a choice in food and beverage offerings and retail goods
in general. We have a fine line to walk to ensure that there is enough of a
choice for passengers, but at the same time, ensuring that there is enough
passenger volume to sustain multiple vendors. Aspects of the design, plus the
new location at the west end of the airport, date back to a 2008 master plan
that had been too good to leave sitting on someone's desk unused. That
plan called for the proposed site that we will be using for the new development.
It was chosen to avoid the storm surge that threatens the existing site located
so close to Castle Harbour. It will also enable us to minimise the amount of
work we have to do with our taxi ways and apron network. There will be a need
for some changes to the network, but it will be minimized. Our objective is to
take those initial design concepts and modify it to ensure that it fits within
the new financial parameters we have for the project. Parts of the terminal
facility date back to the 1940s and we have met or exceeded its life expectancy.
Though we've done a fair job in hiding the warts so to speak, the roofing in
parts of the facility, plumbing, sewage and other mechanical systems, are in
need of replacement in many instances. The cost of maintaining an ageing
infrastructure is highly cost prohibitive."

2014. November 10.
Bermuda’s “new airport” has been signed into being with a redevelopment
agreement between Government and the Canadian Commercial Corporation, Finance
Minister Bob Richards announced this morning. The Island will get a roughly
new $200 million terminal building, with the expectation of “hundreds” of
construction jobs generated. At a press conference in the Cabinet Office, the
Finance Minister hailed the redevelopment plan as “one of the most important
capital projects ever undertaken on our island shores”, after signing the
agreement with CCC’s Luc Alari. Groundbreaking could commence as early as next
year, with the project potentially taking three years to complete. The project
will play “a crucial role in the renaissance of the Bermuda economy”, Mr
Richards said, under a public-private partnership with CCC. Pledging “value
for money”, Mr Alari said CCC “also brings a lot of transparency and
governance — we are a Canadian Government organization; this is something we
adhere to. We will make sure the project is built on time, on budget and on
schedule.” Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell and new Junior Minister Vic Ball
also attended the signing, which Mr Crockwell called a historic occasion for
Bermuda, delivering a “new, attractive and sophisticated modern facility”
that would enhance the Island’s tourism product. “It will impress everyone
that passes through it, visitors and locals alike, and it will make that first
impression for those coming to Bermuda, a lasting positive impression that is
aligned with the Bermuda brand — quality, first class and world class.
The construction of a new purpose built airport terminal is long overdue and
this Government was determined to make it happen — we were very cognizant of
the many obstacles presented to us and especially the financial implications
that could have prevented this from happening. I am most pleased with the
financial creativity that has brought us here today. This public private
partnership between the Bermuda Government and the Canadian Commercial
Corporation does indeed represent a renaissance for Bermuda — to our economy
and to our product. I know that we can all agree that the success of this
project will be legendary.” Construction is expected to take three years, in a
new location that Mr Richards said would be “between the roundabout and
Stonecrusher Corner.” The project’s financing model demanded “total
transparency, adhering to international best practices”, he said. Mr Richards
added that the redevelopment would require no initial expenditure by Bermuda —
and that the project would be financially self-sustaining. CCC will select a
Canadian developer, as its remit is to concentrate solely on Canadian entities.
Title to the airport and adjacent lands will remain with the Bermuda Government.
The project did not go out to international tender.

November 2014 airport plan

Present airport
scenario

Facts

Airport position,
title and address. 32°22´00"N,
064°41´00"W. L. F. Wade International Airport, formerly Bermuda
International Airport, 3 Cahow Way, St.
George's Parish, Bermuda.On April
16,2007 Bermuda
International Airport became the L.F. Wade International Airport
in honour of the late Bermuda politician L. F. Wade, then Progressive Labour
Party Leader of the Opposition.

It is between the waterways of Ferry Reach and Castle Harbor. It is 3 miles
south west of the Town of St. George
and St. George's Parish, 10 miles
east of the city of Hamilton, and 20
miles east of the Royal Naval Dockyard.
From all other Parishes, it is via Long Bird Bridge and the Causeway. From here, with US
pre-clearance from US Immigration and Customs, all departing passengers
bound for the USA, once they arrive at any US airport, are exempted from the
often huge Immigration lines so typical of those arriving directly in the
USA from Europe. The low-lying Causeway, less than 20 feet above sea
level, is a vital link
connecting the mainland with the airport and from the latter east to St.
George's and St.
David's and west to the City of Hamilton and beyond, all the way to
Sandys Parish. But when a hurricane
strikes - of the intensity and ferocity Hurricane Fabian did on September 5, 2003
and
numerous hurricanes have done since the 1850s - it shuts down the Causeway
completely to all traffic for many days or weeks and the airport has to shut
down completely. There is no alternative route to anywhere in Bermuda when the
Causeway does not function. Instead of being a high-rise bridge impervious to
the sea, as you see in the Bahamas, from Inverness to Ross-shire over the Beauly
Firth and over the Cromarty Firth in Scotland - and similar well-known
bridge roads in other places - it is a sea level road completely at the mercy of the sea. Much of
it was destroyed on September 5, 2003 and had to be rebuilt and re-paved from
end to end.

Bermuda is 568 miles east of North
Carolina, 693 miles south east of New York (with a direct daily connection by
air), 729 miles south of Halifax, Nova Scotia (with a seasonal once-weekly direct
connection by air), 770 miles south east of Boston (with a direct daily
connection by air), 788 miles north east of Nassau (no direct connection by air
but via the USA), 1115 miles south east of Toronto (with a direct daily
connection by air), 1290 miles north of Puerto Rico (no direct connection by air
but via the USA), 2055 miles from Winnipeg (no direct connection by air but via
Toronto) and 2996 miles from London, England (with a direct four times a week in
summer and three times a week in winter connection by air).

Rental
automobiles allowed in Bermuda? No. Rental cars are not allowed
from the airport or from anywhere else. Bermuda is one of the few places in
the world that bans them. Visitors get to their destinations by taxi or
pre-arranged mini-bus. (Ordinary buses are not equipped to carry passengers who
have luggage). For further details, see Visitor
Transportation in Bermuda.

Rental of light
Bermuda-based aircraft? No. No rental of light aircraft
is allowed.

Airport
change of name, size, history and future funding.536
acres. Its runway 12/30 is 9,713 feet in length and 150 feet wide. There are
eleven taxiways, all 75 feet wide. The terminal apron has eight aircraft parking
bays. It is the only airport in Bermuda. It falls under the Bermuda Civil
Airports Act 1949, Bermuda Airport Regulations 1959 and Bermuda Airport
Amendment Regulations 2002. It began in 1941 as a US$42 million project of and
was financed 100% by US taxpayers from 1941. This is not known by 99% of our
American, British, Canadian and other visitors. The runways and taxiways were
constructed from scratch from former small islands in Castle Harbour by
engineers contracted by the US Army Air Corps in 1941. They built Fort Bell, later known
as Kindley Air Force Base of the United States Air Force, later yet the US Naval
Air Station of the US Navy, as one of the military bases purpose-built for the US
Military in Bermuda from 1941 to 1995. It included all of what is now the
airport.In
2014, on June 9, Bermudians were told they will have to look for outside funding
to pay for a new airport. Tourism and Transport Minister Shawn Crockwell
said that a modernized airport would cost hundreds of millions of dollars —
money Government did not have. “What the Government wants to do and what
Government is committed to doing is create a better airport, a new airport, so
it can be modern and complement the product we want for our guests when they
come here,” he said. But Mr Crockwell added: “This is an issue of
affordability. that is what is primarily driving the decisions of the Government
and the options we are looking at.” He was speaking after Opposition MP
Lawrence Scott, the shadow Minister for Tourism and Transport, introduced a
motion to debate the advantages of establishing an Airport Authority to run the
Island’s air terminal. The Shadow Transport Minister said the 43 jobs in the
Department of Airport Operations would be put at risk if a public-private
partnership assumed stewardship of Bermuda’s airport, telling the House such
an investor would “get rid of them because they wouldn’t know them”. He
added that privatization meant a profit-driven administration — and there was
nothing to stop management giving themselves enormous salaries, while shedding
workers. On the subject of an Airport Authority, Mr Scott said that “almost
all” of the jurisdictions competing with Bermuda handled their visitors
through an Airport Authority. Mr Crockwell said a number of methods could be
used to get funding for the airport — including a public-private partnership,
which would involve a private operator being given a 30-40 year lease to
modernize and run the airport. And he said negotiations with any private
investor could include negotiating protection for the existing
Government-employed staff. Finance Minister Bob Richards added the airport was
being “held together by Band-Aids. We need to have an airport that is
consistent with the global brand which is Bermuda — a brand we hope denotes
high quality and high services. If the Government can’t afford to build it
ourselves, we going to have to get outside investors and that will require some
kind of creativity — probably a public-private partnership of some sort.”
But he ruled out and outright sell-off of the airport to a private body. Shadow
Finance Minister said Government should not lose control of “a prized
Government asset.” And Opposition leader Marc Bean added that any airport
redevelopment should be done in tandem with improving access and replacing the
ageing Causeway — although he said that the cost of that should be borne by
the entire country, rather than the people of the east end of the Island.

In January 1946 Kindley Field Airport, Bermuda,
as it was first known then, was opened. It was
established on that part of the US military base once reserved for and used by
Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF). The senior RAF officer in Bermuda during the
War, Wing Commander Ware, was loaned to the civil government to oversee the
conversion of the RAF's end of the military airfield into a Civil Air Terminal.
Pre-fabricated buildings were relocated from Darrell's Island to assemble the
first terminal. Ware remained with the local government after leaving the RAF,
becoming the Director of Civil Aviation for many years. Although no longer
maintaining any detachment in Bermuda, the RAF continued to use Island as a
trans-Atlantic staging after WW2 While most foreign military aircraft passing
through the Island had used the US military end of the airfield, the RAF
continued to disperse its aircraft at the former RAF end of the field. Large
detachments of tactical aircraft, accompanied by larger refueling, transport,
and maritime patrol aircraft, regularly staged at the island on transits between
the UK and the garrison at Belize, etc.From 1948,
the Civil Air Terminal was the civilian part of the US military base. From 1948 to 1995, US taxpayers continued to pay all the costs of
the airport, runways and adjacent military base - and the separate one in Southampton
Parish. For this airport alone, the sum spent by American taxpayers
has been estimated at about US2 billion. For half a century, the US Government
bore all the cost of runway maintenance, air traffic control, airport fire
appliances and much more. When
the US Navy ran the airport until 1995 as part of the former US Naval Air
Station at the old Civil Air Terminal, it absorbed the cost, with only notional
accounts passed to airlines. With the Bermuda Government now the owner and
operator, charges and landing fees increased hugely to Bermuda taxpayers and
visitors and have continued that way. However, millions of dollars have been
spent in improving and upgrading the airport to a far higher standard than when
under US Navy control.More than 400
persons work at the airport.

Runway facts and
2013 improvements. LF Wade International Airport has a single active runway,
known as 1-2-3-0. Runway 1-2, the portion where aircraft come in over Ferry
Reach, has the same amount of asphalt surfacing as 100km of Bermuda’s
twin-lane roads. There are also 100km of markings on the 150ft by 9,753ft
runway, which is about to undergo changes under new international regulations.
LF Wade’s runway was last resurfaced in 2003. The runway itself dates back to
the 1940s, when it was laid down by US forces. Bermuda’s runways are still
laid out in the ‘A’ shape characteristic of military facilities, but only
the main strip is in use. That leaves the “finger” for fire department
exercises, the parking of military aircraft — and future developments such as
a proposed solar energy plant. A third strip is known as Taxi Way Bravo, which
connects the runway to the “apron” in front of the airport buildings. In
order to give adequate clearance for aircraft landing over Ferry Reach, their
angle of approach is to be adjusted by two-tenths of a degree — enough for the
“threshold” and other landing markings to be moved forward more than 500ft.
The alterations, which are required of Bermuda under international standards,
will have no effect on take-offs. April 2013 has been set as the final deadline
for the project to start.

2012/2013
alterations costing Bermuda taxpayers $4.6 million were approved for
Bermuda’s airport. The eight-month project was required as much of the
Ferry Reach skyline presented obstacles to aircraft under tighter global
regulations. Objects now defined as obstacles include the hilltops, trees and
houses in the approach zone. The rules are set by the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO). As a result, planes descending to the 9,753ft
strip technically known as Runway 1-2 now make a slightly steeper approach to
allow sufficient clearance and the markings and lights on it will be moved 587ft
forward. Florida-based HR Pruitt was hired for the job. Old
markings were scrubbed off and new paint and asphalt were laid down. The
entire runway was last resurfaced in 2003, although part of the runway’s 1-2
portion got repainted in 2007 along with the “apron”, where aircraft park.
The project is known technically as visual slope segment penetration, or VSSP,
one of those alphabet soup acronyms within aviation. In addition to moving the
runway marking, there was a need to relocate the edge lights, add central lane
lighting not there presently, to also enable aircraft to land in Bermuda when
the visibility is low, for example if there’s a thunderstorm cell overhead.
With this additional lighting, aircraft in more inclement weather conditions can
be helped. Precision approach procedure indicators, which give pilots guidance
on their vertical approach, were moved.

On May 31, 2010 new designs
for a replacement airport terminal which could cost between $300 million and
$400 million were unveiled. The current
facility, which in some areas dates back to the 1940s, had reached its
functional end.
Also, it very susceptible to storm surge. A new facility is needed to meet
the new aviation regulations coming forward. Government has decided it would be best to build the new facility
on a brown-field site and not on the current facility, to move from
the old facility to the new one without disruptions. Present estimates range between $300
and $400 million. The new terminal would be built north of the
existing building at the western-most end of the fence-line. It would also
include a ferry terminal for both the public ferry and any hotels that
decided to transport their guests from the airport. Construction could take between three and four years between development, breaking
ground to moving. While the financing is debated and decision to move
forward is on hold, the airport is working towards
improving its product, which includes taking control of Bermuda's airspace,
presently almost entirely run by the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) in
New York. Other upgrades that need to be put in place include lights down
the middle of the runway to help land planes in fog and continued investment
in satellite technology for landing planes rather than radar technology. The
old facility could be turned into a number of various projects. In
2008 the airport underwent a multimillion-dollar resurfacing of its taxiways
and aprons.

1 Passenger
Terminal, 1 Cargo Terminal, 8 Aircraft Stands. Passengers disembark or embark down or up the aircraft
ramp, then walk from or to the aircraft and terminal in all
weather. When flights arrive or take off in the rain, passengers get
wet. A passenger boarding bridge will be rain cover for embarking
or disembarking passengers. Jetways may not be a practical proposition, either in cost or maintenance,
especially in the salt-laden Bermuda air and closeness of airport
to ocean. A mobile tunnel from terminal to plane steps was not successful in
1995-1996.

Lighting is variable or high
intensity. The approach is abbreviated, variable, or high intensity with a precision
approach path indicator (PAPI) system on both runways. All runway markings are in accordance with
ICAO Annex 14.

Taxiway lighting is medium
intensity edge lighting with internally lighted taxiway guidance signs. There
is also an aircraft radio controlled lighting system or ARCAL which is available
for use between 11 pm and 7 am daily.

No airport
passenger boarding bridges or jetways (known in the United Kingdom
as covered walkways). Possibly by 2013. Bermuda is one of the few international airports without
any. A boarding bridge or jet way is the corridor that
rolls out from the terminal at most airports to the front door of the
aircraft. Nor are there any "at level" crossing points.

Airport
administration. Operated directly by the Bermuda Government's Department of Airport
Operations (DAO) which runs the airport from its upstairs offices at the
airport.The DAO has a full-time staff of
56 employees. Overseen by the Director of Civil Aviation (DCA). The staff at the DCA include flight operations inspectors, an airworthiness surveyor and
airworthiness inspectors. The DCA and
his staff have several main functions. They are to regulate the airport; make
sure the Department of Airport Operations operates to the right standards; run
the Bermuda Aircraft Register (which includes about 150 aircraft, of which about
a third are commercial, the others privately owned, including helicopters based
aboard Bermuda-registered yachts); and ensure compliance with the Bermuda
Government's air services policy which includes approving air fares, routes and
services operated by the airlines
serving Bermuda and charters. The airport is open for aircraft
operations continuously. However, terminal services are only available from 5 am
to midnight. Airport tower services and airport firefighting services are not
available from 11 pm to 7 am. During this time the airport operates under
non-tower operations and pilots of general aviation aircraft use the ARCAL to
activate the airport runway and taxiway lights.
The airport operations building has two floors.
It is made of a mix
of Bermuda stone (limestone), concrete blocks, concrete and wood. The upper floor has
65,300 square feet and the ground floor 172,500 square feet. The
2011-2012 fiscal year operating budget of the DAO is $20.5 million. This is down $332,000 when compared
to the 2010/11 budget.

Via the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) agreement between Bermuda and the USA, the FAA provides
air traffic control services for Atlantic air traffic passing through Bermuda air space.
Bermuda provides tower air traffic control services for all flights landing and departing
the Island, to a distance of eight miles. The FAA provides air traffic approach control
services from its New York Center for all flights on behalf of Bermuda.

Bermuda and the FAA also agreed a number of
cost sharing responsibilities in equipment, maintenance and operations. Now installed
is an array of navigational aids and communications equipment to help the FAA
fulfill its en route and approach control responsibilities. The agreement enables the USA
and United Kingdom to fulfill their commitments to the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO), while the FAA benefits from enhanced management of air space around
Bermuda. Data sent from Bermuda helps reduce time and distance separation restrictions and
permits access to the most efficient cruising levels for aircraft.

Air Traffic Control Service is provided
from an ATC Tower located on high ground approximately midpoint of the runway on its north
side. Departure and Arrival control is provided from New York Air Route Traffic Control
Center (ARTCC) at Ronkonkoma, Long Island New York, using radio transmitters and receivers
installed in Bermuda and real time feeds of VOR and Radar signals from Bermuda.

Electronic navigation aids
include a Category I Instrument Landing System serving runway 30, a VOR/DME
serving both runways and a secondary surveillance radar, with a range of
approximately 200 miles. Aeronautical information is
available in the Bermuda Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). It may be
purchased from the Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation.

In 2011 the airport secured a new
low cost carrier AirTran Airways, which would be providing services from
Baltimore and Atlanta. The airport installed an advanced surveillance radar, in
a cost-sharing agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), for
$4.3 million. The airport was in the process of developing and redesigning a new
plan for the Ferry Reach end of the runway. It requires the displacement of the
runway threshold, thereby shortening the usable length of the runway by 590
feet. Navigational aid equipment known as Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPIS),
used by pilots to help guide aircraft to the touchdown point, will have to be
repositioned. Runway lighting will have to be moved and line markings re-applied
in order to meet the new regulatory requirement. To reduce costs and boost
quality the Department of Airport Operations had contracted a group of IT
specialists to take over the passenger processing system. This includes enhanced
check-in functionality, flight information screens, WIFI, public announcements
and the installation of an airport music system. This upgrade has been achieved
at a 25 percent cost saving over the previous contract.

Airport Dump adjacent

Not under
airport jurisdiction and that no blame can be attached to the airport.
But, like the airport, it is owned and managed by the Bermuda
Government. This significant metallic
waste dump spills out into Castle Harbour which borders the airport. It
can be seen by flights arriving at the airport. It is not known publicly whether it affects aircraft navigation
systems. But it is known that there are no similar airport dumps so close
to other international airports elsewhere. Cars,
motorcycles, tires and refrigerators are routinely dumped here, leeching the
water, in amounts averaging 700 truckloads a week. But in Bermuda's tiny total land area of only 21 square
miles or 56 square kilometers, there is nowhere else in Bermuda to site
the dump.

Airport Instrument Landing System

A 2004 upgrade replaced the system installed by the US Navy prior to 1995.

Airport Parking

There is a separate Government
Parking Area, with three free reserved spaces for Government vehicles with
license plates GP1 (the Premier) to GP20, only. For everyone else, 2 hours are shown as the
maximum allowed in the short-term car park. The Department of Air Operations provides
a few Handicapped Parking by
Permit only spaces in the short-term maximum 2 hours Arrivals area, opposite the Airport Police
Service station.
There is a much larger Long-Term car park to the east of the Arrivals area, but
currently, with no Disabled or Handicapped Parking. Motorists pay by credit card.

Airport Radar

In June 2013
Bermuda’s new long-range radar at LF Wade International Airport went online.
The improved radar extended coverage from 360 miles to 440 miles. The
project, undertaken in tandem with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),
marks the first significant upgrade of the navigation system since Bermuda’s
formal agreement with the US 20 years ago. Under the deal the FAA installs
equipment in Bermuda and the Island shares radar surveillance with flight
controllers in New York for the FAA to manage aircraft coming in and out of the
Island or passing through Bermuda airspace.

Airport Passenger Security &
Security Fee

Airport security is contracted out by the
Bermuda Government to a private sector security organization, which
also provides the Bermuda
Airport Security Police. Passenger security is handled by a different
security company. It handles
the screening of passengers' bags and luggage. Every bag going into an aircraft's hold will
pass through an X-ray machine with Threat Image Projection to find
images of dangerous objects. Electronic baggage monitoring helps to ensure extra bags are
not put on the aircraft. It also helps locate bags of passengers who are
detained by authorities from departing aircraft at the last minute.In addition to
the Departure Tax per adult, all passengers
pay a Bermuda Government Airport Security Fee, added on to the
cost of an airline ticket. The fee is structured to recover a portion of the
costs incurred to meet the security requirements stipulated by the Bermuda Civil
Aviation Authority.

Airport and Bermuda Weather Service

The Bermuda Airport and
Bermuda Weather Service
(BWS) is provided by BAS-Serco on contract with the Department of Air Operations. BWS operates as the
island's National Meteorological Service and provides public and marine weather
forecasts and warnings, in addition to the necessary data for the safe operation
of aviation in Bermuda. BWS supplies weather information to
local newspapers, television stations, cable TV and marine users such as
visiting yachts and Harbour Radio staff who relay the forecasts on Marine VHF
Radio, weather channel 2. There is also a weather dial-up phone-in service
available 24 hours a day, providing public and marine forecasts, current
observations, warnings and tropical weather system information. The BWS also
operates a website, www.weather.bm, which is
extremely popular with both local residents and visitors. Weather forecasters at BWS gather
information from a variety of sources including numerical weather prediction
models, imagery from the GOES Weather Satellite, weather balloons released twice
a day and the local weather radar. A new S Band Doppler radar system was
installed in 2003 which will facilitate improved tracking and prediction
of hurricanes and storms up to 300 miles away from the island. The Island’s
weather radar system is located on Cooper’s Island, St.
David's. See website: www.weather.bm.

Airport signs and markings

Air Traffic Control Tower

This has
not always been in Bermudian hands. When the US
Base was stationed in Bermuda, the Americans ran the tower. In 1995, the
responsibility for the tower transferred to the Bermuda Government and Canadian
controllers were brought in to train Bermudians. By 1996, Bermudians were
sufficiently qualified to run the tower. Bermudians are sent to Civil Aviation
Authority approved schools in the UK for about three months and then return to
Bermuda for practical training. Residents and tourists may not know is that part
of the airport transfer agreement left radar reading as New York's
responsibility and any flight that wishes to leave Bermuda requires New York
approval. Coverage for 200 miles means New York can easily handle flights once
they leave Bermuda's airspace on their way to either the US or Europe. Bermuda's
airspace is Class D because it only extends up 2,500 feet and within a five
square mile radius from the geographical centre of the Airport. Class D is an
FAA Classification depending on the aircraft that use the airspace and, all the
aircraft that do use the airspace, have to conform to particular radio signals.

During the
peak period there are two controllers on duty. One is the local controller, who
is responsible for all arriving and departing aircraft into Bermuda and issues
landing clearances, departure clearances and provides weather information. He or
she will also provide weather information to flights flying over Bermuda. The
other controller is the ground controller who is in charge of any vehicles on
the runway, giving taxi instructions and route clearances to aircraft departing
Bermuda. Emergency situations – such as a diverted airline, a hurricane or the
situation involving a terrorist hijacking such as that which happened in
September 2001 involving New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania – begin with
a pager call out from New York to RCC Bermuda Radio which relays it to Air
Traffic Control, the Fire Department, Department of Airport Operations and the
Weather Service. The managers of all the departments will liaise and decide who
responds to a call. The work day for an air traffic controller ends at 11 p.m.
when they will move through yet another checklist before turning over
responsibility to New York, which is able to activate the lights and emergency
services. But, as days can never be relied upon to be typical, there is
emergency housing near the Airport for air traffic controllers, who may be
called upon to remain in the tower for up to two days in emergency situations
such as hurricanes.

You are required by the
Bermuda Government to complete all the information shown:

Bermuda
Government's Traveller Declaration - Front

Bermuda
Government's Traveler Declaration - Reverse

In March 2007, legislation to
help speed up arriving passenger lines, cut red tape, facilitate Customs checks and improve the detection of
contraband was passed by Bermuda's House of Assembly.The Revenue Amendment Act 2007 obliged ships and
aircraft to provide the Collector of Customs with electronic lists of passengers
and crew prior to arrival in Bermuda.This
assists local security officers to track high-risk individuals and cargo items.The
information required includes sex, date of birth, passport number and
country of issue.The bill also obliges ships
and aircraft to provide electronic data in advance on cargo including the marks,
numbers and contents of every item of goods on board. The Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956
was also amended to require electronic manifests from the airlines for arriving and
departing passengers.With the new border control system
in place there is no requirement for
Bermudians who have the stamp: "Holder is registered as Bermudian" in
their passport and/or possess a "Fast Pass" card to have to complete
an arrival card. The only document that a Bermudian will need to
complete, when returning home, is a customs card.The
credit card sized identification will only be issued to Bermudians and it will
allow them to get through the arrivals hall faster through a special line where
they will not be required to present their passport.

There are
separate lines for incoming returning Bermudians, foreign residents who are work
permit holders and
all other visitors to go through Immigration and Customs. Business
visitors attending meetings here also have a separate line. The
first line requires all Bermudian passports to contain the Bermudian status stamp. There have been cases of people arriving and purporting to be Bermudian but who
do not have Bermudian status – only a British or Bermuda passport stating they
were born in Bermuda, which, unlike in all other countries, does not entitle
them to citizenship.

Those without acceptable or adequate current documentation
such as valid passports or on an
FBI or Interpol stop list will be stopped and detained instead of being allowed
to enter.

All arriving passengers must tell Immigration if they
are visitors or salespeople or corporate representatives. If they are not
Bermudian and not strictly on vacation, they must produce Bermuda Government Work Permits. Do not attempt to
try to use your visit to see any client or conduct any business in Bermuda without having the required Work Permit if you are not
Bermudian.

At Bermuda Immigration, in what appears to be a system unique
to Bermuda (it is not in effect at any UK or USA or Canadian airports) arriving passengers receive a card
from an Immigration officer to
indicate what type of inspection of baggage will occur. It appears as if each
Immigration officer makes a pre-determination on what kind of profile or
category of passenger applies.

Customs. Illegal
Imports.It applies to those who arrive by air or
cruise ship or yacht. The full list of the hundreds of banned narcotics
are in the Bermuda Government's Misuse of Drugs Act 1972 and Misuse of
Drugs (Controlled Drugs) Order 2001 enacted on August 1, 2001. It is not an
excuse if you fail to make yourself familiar with the contents of the full list.
Penalties are very severe for those who ignore this warning.Locals,
tourists and visitors are not given any breaks. The claims they invariably offer
that they do not have the money to pay the fines are routinely ignored. They are
remanded in custody or are put on bail with their transportation tickets
impounded until they do. Also, there are many other repercussions.

From
April 1, 2012 passengers arriving at LF Wade International Airport including
Bermudians, other residents and visitors can use a “nothing to declare”
aisle, if they legitimately have nothing to declare. This was arranged in
conjunction with the Ministry of Transport’s Department of Airport
Operations, in the Arrivals Area. It features a ‘red/green’ channel
system, similar to what UK passengers have used for many years. It hastens their
passage through the airport and emphasizes the obligation to properly declare
goods. For all who have something to declare, a $100 collective Customs Duty exemption
applies for
returning residents, tourists $30, with 33% tax payable on all individual overseas
purchases valued over the collective $100 exemption. (It was reported in The Royal
Gazette of Thursday, September 13, 2001, on page 9, that Bermuda Customs and Immigration have a long-standing practice of giving
preferential treatment to local legislators returning from abroad. Most don't
pay any duties and are exempted from lining-up, unlike other passengers).

People
who refuse to be searched at Customs on arrival at the airport or on a cruise
ship or at any time near the airport or ports can be arrested.

Produce receipts from a retail store satisfactory to the
Customs Department of actual purchase price of the items or be prepared for the
Customs Department to assess items for your payment of duty at much higher
Bermuda prices. This is applied vigorously. To avoid being arrested and having
goods confiscated, do not try to import goods into Bermuda without paying the
duty.

You'll also see a revenue-raising procedure
you will never see at any other airport, a Customs Duty Payable
counter at which to
pay your exceedingly high rate of Customs Duty upfront if, as a Bermuda
resident or visitor, you exceed your low $100 per person duty-free
allowance.

Visitors may bring in, duty free
for personal use only while they are in Bermuda, their clothes and articles like
cameras, golf bags, 50 cigars or 200 cigarettes or 0.454 kilos (1 pound weight)
tobacco; 1 liter of liquor or wine and a $30 gift allowance (compared to $100 in
the USA) . If they bring in
any more in gifts or their value, they can be charged a heavy rate of duty -
over 25% of value - unlike in USA, Britain and Europe, where it does not matter
whether your gifts are for yourself or a member of your family or associate or a
complete stranger.

Declare a
medically prescribed drug and show the doctor's or pharmacist's code on
the prescription.

Behind the
scenes, drug-sniffing dogs will check your baggage before it appears on
carousels.

After passing through Bermuda
Customs, passengers catch taxis or take pre-arranged minibus transportation to get to
their hotels or other guest properties. (There are no rent-a-car services in
Bermuda and no public transportation services for tourists with luggage).
Hotels are not allowed to provide their own shuttle services between the airport
and their hotels.

Airport Pickup

Automated external defibrillators
(AEDs)

The
airport has several. These are portable devices that under medical supervision
deliver a small electrical shock to restore normal heart rhythm during sudden
cardiac arrest, a condition that kills countless patients a year.

Baggage carts & skycaps

Baggage carts. 120. Free, when
available, provided by the DAO. They can be found in both Departures - near the front door -
and Arrivals - near Customs.

Skycaps. (Porters). DAO
employees. Tip per piece of baggage or luggage or parcel.

Baggage claims area

Arrivals hall. See "Moving
Through the Years." An ornately designed mural by local artist Bruce Stuart
at the history of transportation in Bermuda. Includes icons such as the Bermuda
Clipper, Sea Venture, fast new ferry, policeman in birdcage and more.

BAS-Serco

A Bermudian joint venture
company formed between Bermuda Aviation Services (BAS) Ltd and Serco Management
Services Inc. It has provided air operations and facilities maintenances
services at the airport, under contract to the Bermuda Government, since the US
Naval Air Station closed in 1995. BAS-Serco employs approximately 50 staff
providing air traffic control, ground electronics services, airport rescue and
fire fighting, meteorological and aeronautical information services and airfield
infrastructure maintenance.

Bermuda Aircraft Register

More than 170 aircraft are on
this register, owned by foreign nationals but not allowed to operate in Bermuda
in transportation of residents or visitors. Most are new, sophisticated and
technically advanced corporate jets, owned by very high net worth individuals
(such as Bloomberg, Mayor of New York, who has a lavish
private home in Bermuda and flies to it frequently).

Courier Customs Center

Departures

Departure Taxes

Since
2009 the
main airport departure tax is $35 per person.
The tax is payable by departing residents and visitors. How it is paid can
vary. Some passengers may pay it directly to the airline who will then pay the
Bermuda Government. Or it can be included in the overall cost of the ticket.
Built into airline passenger tickets are other - hidden - taxes such as the Airport Security fee
per
passenger and a Passenger
Facility Charge (PFC).

Electronic manifests
now eliminate the requirement to collect landing cards on
departure from Bermuda. Elimination of departure cards brought
Bermuda in line with countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada
and Australia, who receive electronic manifests and do not require travelers to
complete a departure card.

Passengers arrive at
Departures by taxi or mini-bus or, if staying with friends, by private
car. Areas designate each commercial airline serving Bermuda. On the ground floor are
check-in facilities. A fiber optic ring links the terminals with
Bermuda Customs and Immigration computers. Television monitors and flight display units
give airline logo and departing flights information.

Most departing passengers are
tourists, bound for the USA. Others
go on business or pleasure or to shop in the USA. Passengers check in at their
airline counters. After checking
in, those bound for Canada or United Kingdom are directed to their
departure lounge on the ground
floor. Unlike in the case of passengers bound for the USA, passengers bound for Toronto or Halifax
or London cannot pre-clear their Customs and Immigration. Instead, Canadian and British authorities require their passengers to wait
until they arrive in those countries before they go through their
Immigration and Customs procedures. It can be a very lengthy and tiresome
procedure, especially at London's Gatwick.

In contrast, USA-bound
passengers, the great majority, have a
major advantage. In
Bermuda, before they leave, irrespective of nationality, they get US Customs and Immigration
clearance - in Bermuda, not when they arrive in the USA. On arrival in the USA, they can pick up their
baggage and go, having already gone through the Customs and Immigration
procedures. This has been the case since 1974. They pay for it in Bermuda but it is a huge
convenience.

Going through US
Customs in Bermuda

Passengers who have
nothing to hide have nothing to fear but those who attempt to enter the
USA illegally will be stopped and arrested.

This is especially
so since, a few years ago, Chinese and other nationals were allowed entry into Bermuda
from the United Kingdom by local Immigration officials and afterwards tried to enter the USA from Bermuda using false
Japanese passports. They had been told, erroneously, that the USA
was an easy place to get to via Bermuda for illegal entrants. Alert Bermuda-based US Customs and Immigration
officials detected and stopped them from entering the USA from Bermuda and
the Bermuda Government imprisoned them prior to deportation.

Since 2009, while waiting to speak to a US customs and immigration officer,
visitors and residents en route to the USA can learn more about the longstanding relationship between the two
countries from the newly-installed US-Bermuda Friendship Wall.The
three-panel wall features key historical events and information about the
longstanding US-Bermuda relationship that many visitors may not know. The
permanent exhibit was unveiled in 2009 in celebration of Bermuda 400th
anniversary by Airport general manager Aaron Adderley, US Consul General Gregory
Slayton and Stephen Greenberg, Port Director for US Customs and Border
Protection (CBP).

Departure area photos by
author Keith Archibald Forbes.

Disabled passengers

The British Government's Department for Transport's Access
to air travel for disabled people: code of practice is not followed in Bermuda by the Bermuda Government.
But a disabled passenger transporter that cost local taxpayers $94,000 was installed
in August 2003. It was funded by the Passenger Facility Charge fee
enacted that year of $4 per ticket. The diesel-powered unit elevates 20 feet off the ground
to transport the disabled from terminal gates to the cabin of the aircraft or in
reverse. It is fully enclosed, air-conditioned and can board as many as six
wheel-chair bound passengers at one time. This was welcomed by the Bermuda
Physically Handicapped Association as a service for locals and
visitors. To use the system, all disabled arriving or departing
passengers must give prior notice to their airlines and should note that the
system will not work at night without such prior requests.

Distances by parish

Note from the basic map
below and the address of where you will be staying, whether it is close to or far from the
airport. Depending on where it is, you may have to pay $60 or more (one way, not
round-trip) per car for a 35 to 50 minute ride if you take a taxi from or to the airport.

Doppler Weather Radar
System

It bounces radio waves off
objects with a high powered antenna. It indicates the comparative velocity of
rain drops and other precipitation in the atmosphere. It enables a meteorologist
to detect potentially hazardous features such as squall lines and outbursts.

Executive and private Aircraft Handling Facility

On the northern side of the airport
near Ferry Reach, this is specifically for owners or operators of executive smaller
aircraft or corporate jets visiting Bermuda and any guests they bring. It has its own
lounge, Bermuda Immigration and Customs and other services.A
former US Air Force/US Naval Air Station building on
Southside was converted into a private jet passenger terminal. The
building has a 275,000 square-foot apron where private jets can be parked in
addition to parking for 13 cars.

Fuels

Two fuel corporations are allowed to
operate, one of which is Shell. Fuels they offer are Esso Turbo A-1
or Shell Jet A-1. Oils available are Aeroshell Turbine Oil 390 and 500, and Esso Turbo Oil
2380. Aviation gasoline - for propeller-driven aircraft - is
not available anywhere at the airport or anywhere else in Bermuda.Any aircraft can use Bermuda. If it
requires avgas, because it has a reciprocating engine, it will have to have
enough range to travel to Bermuda and back from the USA on one tank of gas. Many
propeller-driven aircraft have turbine engines that use the same A-1 fuels as
turbojet engines.

Ministry of Transport

The responsibility of the Ministry is to manage and regulate
transportation in Bermuda, including the airport, weather services, buses and
ferries.

Retail shopping

For outgoing passengers. The Bermuda Government rents
out duty-free shops
in the Departures areas. Once USA passengers pass through the US Customs Pre Clearance
Service and enter the USA Departures lounge, they cannot purchase goods which will attract
US Import duties because of strict US Customs regulations.If
an airport store for departing passengers advertises duty-free liquor prices
while there is a big saving on duty-free liquor compared to most retail
stores in Bermuda, Canada and United Kingdom prices, passengers bound for New England, Pennsylvania
and other US states residents should note that retail prices in their states for liquor
may be about the same as Bermuda Duty Free prices. And passengers bound for the
UK should note that if they go beyond Gatwick by air they are hugely restricted
in what they can take in their hand luggage.

Transportation

Bermuda is now the only
tourism resort left in the entire world where it is still and has been for
decades deliberate Bermuda Government unfriendly-to-tourists policy to
prohibit hotels from picking up and dropping off their guests
at Bermuda’s International Airport.

No shuttle buses or
courtesy hotel limos are allowed.

Nor, to the
often huge surprise and major disappointment of many guests who have
routinely rented automobiles elsewhere abroad are any rental cars allowed.

Nor are
there any public transportation buses for arriving or departing passengers
with luggage racks available to take incoming or outgoing tourists or other
types of visitors.

The best way
to get to/from hotels and other places to stay for guests with luggage is via
taxi or a shuttle van/mini bus service. Some hotels, guest houses and efficiency
units will pre-arrange this for their guests and the latter should always ask
about this at the time of booking to ensure this will be done by prior
arrangement.

Once you’ve
cleared Bermuda Immigration, collected your luggage and passed through Bermuda
customs, you’ll exit the airport terminal and enter the ground transportation
area for taxi or minibus to your destination. All taxis are metered with
rates set by the Bermuda government (see under "Taxis" in Bermuda
Transportation for Visitors) but taxi fares are not always purely for
the journey, can also be based on number of passengers if more than 2, and are
payable in US or Bermuda dollars. Fares are the same for non-disabled and
disabled (handicapped in USA). There
are now 650 taxis. (Disabled persons in a
wheelchair should always ask in advance of their arrival for a
wheelchair-equipped taxi, of which there are quite a few. But they should note
that when taxis are equipped to take a wheelchair, it may be for a manual
wheelchair only, not an electric wheelchair).

At the airport, regular public
transportation buses service the Departure area,
not Arrivals area. They are excellent in terms of
weekday frequency compared to many other places. But they were built for the casual
sightseer from overseas with no luggage and local commuters. They are not for airport
incoming or outgoing passengers, not equipped to take luggage, without special
marked seating for disabled passengers who do not need wheelchairs but use a cane or crutch
as they are too unsteady on their feet to stand - and are not equipped to hoist
wheelchairs.